Finally
by momoxtoshiro
Summary: AU She's always liked him, but she'd never admit it because she doesn't want to hurt him. Yet in addition, she's hurting herself. Can they overcome it? My first Bleach High School fic! For sakura-chan! HAPPY BIRTHDAY! :D :D :D Enjoy!


**This story is written as a request from my (long-lost XD) 'little sister' sakurarules233 :3 It's for her birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAKURA-CHYAN! ^^**

**To my readers, this is my first try at writing for a Bleach AU when they're in High School, because that's how sakura wanted it. If you don't like it, don't read :p It's just a oneshot cause I'm not good at writing this but as long as it makes my sakura-chan happy :3**

**Oh and also this IS an alternate universe, and so they're in a made-up school as well. I just didn't want to confuse Karakura Town in all this so I made up my own :P**

**Enjoy everyone! :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach :(**

**

* * *

**

Finally

Momo Hinamori let out a large sigh of relief as the lunch bell rang at last.

Along with the rest of her classmates, whose hands tired of taking notes, she stood at the command of the class representative, bowed to their sensei, and then began packing up their things.

"My fingers are _killing _me!" Hinamori's best friend, Rukia Kuchiki complained as she turned to her friend, sitting next to her.

"I know what you mean." Hinamori agreed. "I mean, Hisagi sensei is a great teacher, but I just wish he wouldn't throw all that information at us all at once." The two girls rubbed their sore hands briefly before packing up their things.

The two teenage girls went to Tobiume High School, a normal school district in Okinawa, Japan. Their uniforms were average sailor suits with white tops and dark purple skirts, collars and black knee-socks, whereas the boys wore black pants, matching tops and purple ties.

Hinamori's class consisted of many of her close friends from middle school, including Rukia, Kira Izuru, Renji Abarai and Hitsugaya Toshiro. There were also people like Ichigo Kurosaki (whom she knew Rukia had a secret crush on), Orihime Inoue, Uryu Ishida and Sado Yasatora.

Her homeroom teacher, Rangiku Matsumoto, always enjoyed picking on the short, white-haired boy for some odd reason though, always calling on him when his face gave the expression that he obviously did not want to talk. Yet no matter how uninterested in class he was, he had never once failed to answer correctly and without hesitation.

Hitsugaya and Hinamori had been very close friends ever since they were very small when they had met at the park.

Hinamori remembered that day as clearly as she did the present second. It had been Winter and she had thought that she was the only child at the park. Her grandmother had not wanted to take her since it had been snowing, but Hinamori had insisted that she wanted to go on the slide just once. So she had been dressed in her warm, Winter jacket and purple scarf and had held her grandmother's hand all the way down to the park. As Hinamori had climbed the steps to the slide, she nearly fell off from surprise when she realized she was not the only child in the park. Hitsugaya had been sitting atop the slide, just staring out into the snowy forest beyond the park.

Presently, Hinamori smirked a little as she remembered how she had called out a greeting to him, he had jumped and tumbled down the slide and she had quickly slid down after him. She remembered how he had complained to her and how fervently she had apologized.

_"I'm so sorry!" she cried again. "I didn't mean to startle you! I just wanted to say hi." _

_ "Alright, alright," he grumbled. "Don't worry about it. I just didn't think anyone else would be coming here when it's snowing. What are you, stupid?" he asked teasingly._

_ "I'm not!" she denied. "I like the snow and I just wanted to go on the slide once and I wound up finding you there." Then she noticed that, when he had tumbled down, his little blue scarf had fallen off and was lying in the snow. "Oh no!" Hinamori reached down and handed it to him. "It's all cold and wet now! I'm sorry. It's all my fault because I startled you." She said miserably. _

_ "Don't worry about it." He grumbled again. "It's too long anyways. And I don't mind the cold all that much." He shrugged, beginning to wrap the scarf back around his neck. _

_ "No! You'll catch a cold!" she huffed. The boy had watched her as she had untied her own purple scarf and wrapped it around his shoulders instead. "There!" _

_ "But-"_

_"Don't worry. I'm not cold. I love the snow too." She beamed. _

_The boy blinked at her once before smiling too._

_ "Momo-chan! Let's get going." Her grandmother called from the bench she sat on. _

_ "Okaaay!" the little girl called back. "I gotta go now." She said to the boy._

_ "Wait, your name's…M-Momo-chan?" the white-haired boy asked._

_ "Mmhm." She nodded with a grin. "Hinamori Momo. What's your name?" _

_ "Hi…Hitsugaya…Toshiro." A small pink shade crossed the boy's cheeks and Hinamori giggled. _

_ "Toshiro…So then, you're Shiro-chan!" _

"Oy! Earth to Momo-chaaan!"

Hinamori immediately snapped out of her little trance as Rukia called her name.

The chestnut-haired girl had been sitting at her desk, staring out the window to her left as her memories had overflowed and took her back in time for what seemed like hours. But in reality, it had only been about a minute and the young girl had simply been spacing out up until now.

"Ah! S-Sorry Rukia-chan! I-I was just-"

"Yes, yes I know. You were reminiscing about the past, with Hitsugaya-kun, riiight?" She teased.

"H-How-"

"You were just staring at him and then you turned your head, sighed and began gazing out the window. You're so cute sometimes." Rukia nudged her with her elbow. "Come on, let's eat lunch."

"Okay."

Hinamori had only known Rukia for a few years, but when they had first met, they clicked immediately. Hinamori loved her friend like an older sister, and was always able to gossip and chat with her about anything and everything. She was also very thankful for Rukia's easygoing ability to casually change the subject whenever she knew Hinamori felt uncomfortable.

The two girls pushed their desks together and took out their bento boxes. Just as they began to dig into their rice, two tall boys sauntered over.

"Hey Rukia!" Renji Abarai had a big, stupid grin plastered over his face. "Move over a bit, will ya?" The tall, red-haired boy pushed his desk next to Rukia's and sat down beside her.

"You are so _annoying_!" Rukia growled. "Don't sit near me." She stood and scooted over to sit beside Hinamori instead. Renji laughed as Izuru sat down next to him.

"Hello Hinamori-kun, Rukia-chan."

"Hi Kira-kun, Abarai-kun." Hinamori greeted back cheerfully.

The four of them usually sat together for lunch, while Ichigo, Orihime, Uryu and Chad sat nearby. Renji seemed to been good friends with Ichigo, as was Rukia with Orihime and the others, but Hinamori was always very shy around them and did not talk much.

And, as usual, Hitsugaya sat by himself, in his solitary corner by the window. Since it was Winter, though every other student was freezing cold and huddled in their coats, even during class, he seemed to be in a better mood than ever. Hinamori noticed that all of her classmates were either already in their coats or were currently changing into them at the moment aside from herself and the white-haired boy. She could hear the other girls in the class complaining about the temperature and she smirked in satisfaction when she heard their grievances. Personally, she loved it and she knew that there was only one other person in class who felt the same way.

Just then, Hitsugaya's piercing blue, aqua eyes flickered up and met with her chestnut ones. Hinamori felt herself freeze, unable to look away from those alluring irises. His eyes widened as their gazes met for a brief second, and Hinamori opened her mouth slightly, intending to call out to him to join them. But just before she could, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Momo-chan. You're spacing out again." Rukia informed her.

"Ah…s-sorry…" Hinamori was forced to look away from him, but did not miss the slight disappointment in his eyes when she did so. _D…Did he _want _me to ask to ask him to come over?_

"You were looking at him again, weren't you?" The other girl whispered.

"R-Rukia-chan!" Hinamori hissed back, blushing madly.

"Sorry, sorry! You're just too damn cute!" Rukia giggled.

"Stop it! I mean I've seen the way you look at Kurosaki-kun too, you know." Hinamori smirked mischievously.

"W-Wha-?"

"What the hell are you two doing?" Renji's deep voice interrupted the two girls who straightened up like startled rabbits.

"N-Nothing!" Rukia chirped. "Just girl talk."

"Whatever." Renji shrugged before engaging in a conversation with Ichigo about the math test they were having next period.

"Did you study?" The red-head asked.

"Well I didn't really need to. I'm just good at math." The orange-haired boy smirked.

"Damn." Renji mumbled. "What about you guys?" he turned to the others.

"I did!" Orihime smiled triumphantly.

"As did I." Uryu pushed up his glasses.

"Same." Chad replied in his monotone.

"It seems everyone's studied but you, Abarai-kun." Kira chuckled.

"You shut up! I bet I'm not the _only _one."

As Renji continued to be taunted and started to cram the notes from his worksheets into his head last minute, Rukia slid closer to Hinamori.

"So you've had a crush on Hitsugaya-kun for a long time right? Ever since you were kids?"

"Y…Yeah…"

"Come on, no need to be so shy! It's me you're talking to remember? There's nothing about your love life I don't know."

"I suppose you're right." Hinamori sighed. "He just seems to be so lonely all the time and no one ever talks to him."

"Well, not _anymore_." Rukia corrected. "I remember how when at the beginning of the school year, just about every girl in the class was trying to flirt with him. They'd always say how smart and handsome he was, but he never paid any mind to them so it wasn't long before they just finally decided to give up on him. I remember how you always got so jealous." She patted Hinamori on the shoulder and the younger girl blushed madly. "It's been years you've liked, him right? Come on, Momo-chan. Why don't you just confess? I mean everyone _knows _you're bound to be together. It's basically fate. You've been holding off for way too long."

"N-No. I-I'd never be able to...do something like that. I-I don't think he feels that way about me. I-I mean, what if he has someone else he likes in this school or even a girlfriend in another school? If I confessed to him…what if it just wound up hurting him in the end? I could never do something like that…"

"But what if he _doesn't_?" Rukia pressed. "What if he likes you too? What if he's liked you ever since the day you met, just like you do?"

"But what if he _doesn't_?" Hinamori repeated desperately. "I…I just can't be sure. And…it's okay like this. We can still be friends. I mean, we still talk from time to time and we keep in touch."

"But, Momo-chan, haven't you heard the rumor that's been going around? That Ichigo's little sister Karin has a crush on him too?" The orange–haired boy and his friends were all seniors at Tobiume High, whereas his younger twin sisters had just recently entered as freshmen.

"W-Well if he likes her back, then it's for the best." Rukia did not miss the stutter in Hinamori's voice; she was obviously taken aback. Rukia's violet eyes sunk. _You idiot. You should stop worrying about other people's feelings so much. Be a little selfish for once, will you? _"It's fine, Rukia-chan. I know you're worried about me and I know you're just trying to help, but you don't need to be concerned for me. If we're meant to be together, then we'll get together somehow."

"But you'd get together faster if you just made a move." Rukia insisted.

"Okay." Hinamori gave up trying to let Rukia see her reasoning. "But I'm not confessing." She stated firmly.

Rukia sighed. _She totally loves him, and it's kind of obvious to everyone else too. But I won't give up on trying to get them together._ Rukia made a fist from her determined thoughts.

"Ah, Rukia-chan? What are you doing?" her fellow female asked.

"Oh aaahh…j-just how I'm going to ace that math test next period." She covered quickly.

The idle chatter went on as the friends finished up their lunches and then rearranged their desks back in order for the next class. Their next teacher, a tall man by the name of Soskue Aizen, then entered the classroom and announced that their math exam would soon begin. As the papers were being passed out, Hinamori stole a quick glance back toward Hitsugaya.

But their gazes did not meet a second time, and she turned away and began her test.

* * *

The final bell of the day rang as all the students let out exasperated sighs.

Hinamori pouted at the clock. She hated math and saw no point in it whatsoever, (seriously. When in her life would she _ever _need to know what X equaled? How would that help her in life _at all_?) so the afternoon had started her off in a bad mood. Followed by that, however, was English, one of her more favorites, and finally her day had ended with her absolute favorite; science. But time always seemed to fly by a lot faster during her favorite class, especially when it was at the end of the day.

She pouted as the class ended and everyone began to pack their things and head off for sports and cleaning duty. She wished all of her friends goodbye as they all headed toward their clubrooms or training areas. Ichigo, Renji and Kira were all in the kendou club, whereas Chad was in boxing, Uryu was in the sewing club, and Orihime was in art, somehow. Rukia had also wanted to join that club to show off her amazing skills, but Ichigo had convinced her otherwise.

"You've gotta go home without me today, Momo-chan!" Rukia wailed. "I have cleaning duty. Sorry!"

"Okay." Hinamori gave her friend a quick hug.

"Have a great weekend."

"You too."

Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Hinamori headed for the door and slipped into the hallway. After stopping by her shoe locker, she headed off toward the doors. It was still snowing, which sent a thrill of excitement coursing through her. She had not brought a coat today, yet she had brought her beloved, purple scarf, which she presently tied loosely around her neck.

Only several other students were heading for home at the time and she walked toward the gates of the school along with them. Hinamori halted and waited for the rest of them to file out. For a few moments, she just stood there and stared up at the white sky. She opened her mouth slightly and let her tongue gather snowflakes, feeling like she was little once again. She then closed her eyes for a time, trying to clear her mind of all troublesome things and just letting the cool sensation set in on her skin. She then let out a long sigh and reopened her eyes, then headed off toward the gates.

However, the sidewalk was covered in a thin layer of snow and Hinamori lost her balance on a particularly icy spot. She squeaked aloud as her weight shifted and she braced herself for the fall.

But it never came.

She felt a firm hand grip her wrist and yank her back onto her feet until she found her balance. Hinamori blinked her eyes open and it took a minute for her blurry vision to focus, but when it did she nearly gasped in surprise.

None other than the infamous boy-genius Hitsugaya Toshiro stood before her, holding the girl by the wrist with one hand with his other in his pocket as though this was no big deal and he did it on a daily basis.

"Oy, you should be more careful."

Hinamori stumbled and tried to find her balance on the slippery ice underfoot. Once she found her feet, she quickly smoothed out her skirt and glanced up at him nervously.

"Th-Thank you very much, Hitsugaya-kun."

"It was nothing. You were always somewhat of a klutz." A tiny smile crossed his lips and his aqua eyes softened and seemed to gaze off into some distant time zone. Briefly, Hinamori wondered if he was remembering the time they had first met when she had crashed into him on the slide.

"S-Sorry to cause you trouble." Hinamori blushed slightly, flicking her eyes away from his face.

"Like I said, don't worry about it." He chuckled. "Always apologizing. You haven't changed a bit…" his voice trailed off and Hinamori wondered if she had heard correctly or if it had merely been the wind. Then he raised his voice as he spoke to her directly once more. "Look at you, wearing nothing but your uniform out here in this weather." He scoffed.

"Y-You're one to talk." She pouted. "Just like you, I never get cold. You know that."

"But at least I'm wearing a scarf." Hitsugaya adjusted the blue fabric around his shoulders.

"I'm wearing one too!" the girl defended. But his smirked told her otherwise and she frantically searched her neck to find her purple scarf missing. "Oh! It came off when I tripped." She cried, bending down to reach for it, but as she did so, she stumbled again and fell backwards, landing fully onto her back. "Ow ow ow!" she hissed through her teeth, rolling onto her side and curling her body slightly as her hands flew up to hold her throbbing head.

"Oy! Didn't I _just _get finished telling you to be more careful?" Hitsugaya got down on one knee beside her and placed a hand on her side. She cringed more at his touch, breathing quickly at having the wind knocked out of her. "Come here." Gently he slid one arm under her knees and the other under her shoulders. Slowly, he lifted her into his arms and stood to his feet. Her eyes were squeezed shut with pain and her chest heaved with difficulty of breathing. "I'm taking you to the nurse." Hitsugaya decided.

"N-N-No…it's okay…I'm fine." She blinked her eyes open and looked up at him with a pink tint crossing her cheeks.

"You're _not_ fine, baka." He snorted. Hinamori gasped lightly as she heard him say the pet name he had come up for her so many years ago. Hearing him say it again somehow made her feel nostalgic and almost want to cry from joy.

"No I'm okay, Hitsugaya-kun." She repeated reassuringly as she got her oxygen back. "Really I'm fine now. But…thank you…for worrying about me…" she mumbled, turning her face away from him. He fought back a blush of his own before straightening up.

"A-Are you sure?" he checked.

"Y-Yes." She squeaked.

"Alright then." The white-haired boy gently let her back down onto her feet. He placed his palms on her shoulders for a moment and let them linger there for a little longer than necessary. The girl fidgeted a little and the boy smiled in amusement. He then leaned down, scooped up her scarf, brushed the snow off of it and handed it to her.

"Thanks." Hinamori lifted the damp, purple material to her throat and was about to wrap it over her skin when Hitsugaya reached forward and placed a hand on top of hers.

"You're gonna catch a cold, baka." He scolded.

"I'll be fine." But he ignored her and unwrapped his own blue scarf. Hinamori blinked bashfully as he slipped it around her neck twice. "N-No. I don't need this, really. But thank y-"

"Just be quiet, will you?" he sighed at her stubbornness.

He picked up her snow-covered bag and handed it to her, which she slipped onto her shoulder while clutching her own scarf in her palm.

"Thank you." She murmured again. Hinamori glanced around, noting that no one else was in the area. _I've got to say something to him now._ _I've _got _to tell him how I feel. This…this might be my only chance… _"Ah- um…H-Hitsugaya-kun?" she stammered.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice lowered again, sounding bored once more; his usual tone.

"Ahm…w-well…it's just that…" she fumbled on her words fervently. _Oh I really should plan out my words before I go opening my big mouth! _

"Spit it out." He chortled.

"W-Well it's just that…I…I've…no. I don't know how to say this correctly-"

"Hinamori."

"E-Eh?" The girl straightened up immediately as she heard him speak her name. _I…I can't remember the last time I've heard him call me by my name…_

"Let me make this easier for you." He offered. Her heart froze for a second and she forgot to breathe, wondering if such a fantasy-like scenario was really about to happen to her, of all people.

"I've missed you." He confessed.

"M-Me too!" she squeaked quickly without thinking, then blushed and lowered her voice again. "Me too, Hitsugaya-kun. I…I've really missed you all this time. I-I mean, we haven't really been talking much recently a-and we used to be such good friends and now…things have just changed so much…"

"I know."She gazed up into his eyes and they told her what he said was only the pure truth. "I didn't know if you still remembered how close we used to be."

"Of course I remember!" she cried, hot tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes at his suggestion that she would not. "How could I ever forget such an important friend? How could I ever forget my first and only love?"

Immediately after the words had left her throat, her hands flew to and clasped over her mouth. She gasped loudly before the entire world seemed to go silent for the few seconds afterward. Her eyes were widened like an owl's and her fingers began to tremble a little as the tears slipped down her cheeks.

Hitsugaya's aqua eyes doubled in surprise at her heartfelt words and he blinked twice before he could comprehend what had just been said.

"I…I'm sorry…" Hinamori whispered. "I mean…I didn't want to…I don't want you to be hurt because of my selfish feelings-"

But she was cut off as a pair of warm arms embraced her and pulled her in.

"Hinamori…" just hearing his voice saying her name was enough to make her break down completely. She nestled into his chest and sobbed, her fingers clutching his shirt and tie. "I love you too. Thank you." He rested his chin on her shoulder and took in her sweet, nostalgic, plumb-like scent.

The girl sniffled for several moments before finally regaining her composure.

"I'm sorry…I wanted to…talk about it more…and it turned out like this…" she mumbled.

"Is this outcome not to your approval?" he asked, smugly.

"Not at all." She laughed.

"Good." He gently loosened his embrace on her and they pulled apart slightly.

"S-S-So…" the girl stammered. "Are we…going out now?" she asked.

Hitsugaya smirked.

He leaned forward and kissed her lips.

Her heart flipped into overdrive before she coyly returned the kiss, their bodies melting together like the snow melted into the ground around them.

They pulled apart a few seconds later.

"I don't know." He smirked. "You tell me."

"I'm so happy, Shiro-chan!" she flung her arms around his neck in pure delight and bliss and Hitsugaya blushed at his nickname, taboo to anyone other than her.

"Me too." He agreed.

A gust of cold wind blew past and their embrace tightened until it past and they broke apart again. "Come on," Hitsugaya took her hand in his. "I'll walk you home."

"Okay!" she chirped gleefully. "Oh but first…" she took the extra length of his blue scarf and pressed up against him, wrapping the other half of it around his neck. "There. Now we're even."

"Right." He laughed.

As the destined couple walked side-by-side, hand-in-hand off the school grounds, several amused faces watched the scene from the classrooms. Their classmates all smiled as they watched Hitsugaya and Hinamori walk off together.

Renji grinned. "_There _we go!"

Ichigo chuckled. "It's about damn time."

Rukia rolled her eyes with a smile. "_Finally_."

* * *

**A/N: Okay first of all, sorry it went so fast ^^; and tell me if there's any mistakes! and second, sorry it was so cliche, (Him catching her and all that, but I really couldn't think of much else to do in this situation. I mean, this is _school _after all. Nothing romantic ever happens in _school..._at least not where I come from XD) **

**Also the classes Hinamori likes are based off of sakura's favorites so sorry to all the math lovers XP**

**And well I hope you all liked it, somewhat, at least. And again, Happy Birthday sakura-chaaan!~ *hearts***

**Please review! (?)**


End file.
